Carpet securing means



Sept. 28, 1965 M. A. LINSKY CARPET SECURING MEANS Filed Dec. 18. 1961 INVENTOR. %W% 4770 65 5 United States Patent 3,2il8,096 CARPET SECURING MEANS Morris A. Linsky, Los Angeles, Qalifi, assiguor to Royal Aluminum, IKE. Les Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Dec. 18, 1961, Ser. No. 160,099 4 Claims. (Cl. 1616) This invention relates generally to carpet securing means and more particularly to means adapted to secure the edge of a carpet across a doorway or similar space where there is much traffic.

In my prior patent, No. 2,942,289 issued June 28, 1960, and entitled Carpet Securing Means, I disclosed a carpet bar or anchoring member particularly adapted for use in securing the edge of a carpet across a doorway. While this securing means has proven very satisfactory, I have now developed certain improvements that provide an even better device.

For example, one of the important features of the prior carpet securing means was the provision of a wooden strip carrying upwardly projecting nails on which the edge of the carpet was impaled. The wooden-strip-andnail method of anchoring carpet has been used for a number of years, and has become practically standard in many forms of installations since it provides the greatest strength and security. By using the same method of securing the carpet across doorways, the carpeting may be stretched just as tightly there and held just as securely as in any other portion of the room. However, in a doorway the edge of the carpet must be protected by means other than a wall-mounted molding, and a metal edging member, intended to be walked upon, is generally used. This metal edging member must be one that is not likely to cause tripping or slipping of anyone walking on it, and should, of course, be attractive in appearance. Furthermore, to reduce the wear of the carpet, it has been found desirable to slope or bevel the edge of the securing means adjacent the padding used beneath the rug or carpet. The padding, it will be appreciated, is resilient, and an unyielding member immediately adjacent the resilient member may soon cause the carpet to wear immediately above the edge of the unyielding member.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved carpet securing means of the type described.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a securing means in which the carpet is held more securely and the size of the visible metallic lip is reduced.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a securing means in which the possibility of localized wear of the carpet along the edge of the securing means is materially reduced.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a securing means in which the elements making up the device are more securely held together.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a carpet securing means that can be more easily manufactured, and in which the greater use of automatic machinery can reduce the cost.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred form thereof, and from the drawings illustrating that form in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, partially in section, illustrating the use of the improved carpet securing means across a doorway;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of a section of the securing means being applied to a fioor, with a portion of resilient padding shown adjacent the securing means;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG- URE 2 but with the securing means held to the floor and with carpeting shown installed and held by the securing means; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view showing the junction of the pad and securing means, and the displacement of the carpeting above the two when an object, such as a heel, is pressed into the carpeting at the junction.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to the FIGURE 1 thereof, the numeral 10 indicates generally a floor extending through a doorway or similar opening 11. Carpeting 12 is installed on the floor 10 on one side of the doorway, but not on the other side. Padding 13, of any usual type, is placed between the carpeting 12 and the floor 10, and a carpet bar or securing means 14 holds the edge of the carpet and provides a neat and decorative finish to that edge.

As seen in FIGURE 2, the carpet bar 14 includes a metal section 15, which may be formed as an extrusion, the metal section clamping and holding a strip 16, preferably of wood, through which project upwardly extending nails or pins 17. The strip 16 and the projecting nails 17 form a carpet fastener of the type shown in the patent to Roberts No. 2,238,946, issued April 22, 1941, which has long been used for the securing of carpeting both neatly and firmly. The strip 16 with its nails 17 acts in the normal and expected manner, and is similar to the well known strip mentioned with the exception that the strip 16 is somewhat narrower than the usual strip.

As mentioned, the metal section 15 engages and clamps the wood strip 16, and to do this, the section 15 has a generally channel shaped section 20 in which the strip 16 fits. For convenience, that portion of the carpet securing means 14 adjacent the padding 13 will be designated as the inner portion, while that portion of the securing member remote from the padding and farthest away from the middle of the carpet, will be designated as the outer portion of the carpet securing means.

With these directions in mind, it will be seen that the inner leg 21 of the channel section 20 has a generally vertically extending exterior surface, with an interiorly projecting lip 22 at the upper edge. The lip 22 overhangs the bottom or base 23 of the channel section 20, thus tending to clamp and securely anchor the wood strip 16 within the channel section.

The opposite leg 24 of the channel section 20 is directed upwardly and generally interiorly of the channel section and hence its upper edge likewise overhangs the base 23 of the channel section 20. With this construction, it will be noted that the upper surface of the channel is considerably narrower than the base of the channel, and consequently the strip 16 is given a generally dovetailed shape to fit within the channel 20. In this way, the section 16 is held against tipping or rocking or otherwise becoming disengaged from the channel section.

It will be noted that the upper surface of both the innermost leg 21 and the outer leg 24 are considerably below the upper surface of the strip 16, and the purposeof this will soon become apparent.

As has previously been indicated, the padding 13 is of a resilient nature, and when weight is applied to the carpet 12, the padding 13 is compressed. If the weight is applied immediately adjacent the edge of the padding 13, the padding will be compressed, but the leg 21 of the metal section 15 will not be compressed, nor will the strip 16. As a result, if the leg 21 is the same height as the uncompressed padding 13, compression of the padding will cause the carpet 12 to be bent around the edge of the leg 21 so that a ridge in the carpet support is formed that will cause the carpet to Wear more rapidly.

It is for this reason that the upper edge of the leg 21 is kept below the uncompressed height of the padding 13. Similarly, to prevent a ridge being formed by the edge of the wooden strip 16, the edge of the strip is beveled as indicated. The shape of the various elements and their coaction with the padding 13 and carpeting 12 is illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3.

While the wooden strip 16 may be mounted and clamped in the channel section 20 in a number of different ways, one of the most satisfactory ways is the relatively simple method of bending the leg 21 and lip 22 into position. In this mode of construction, the extrusion 15 is formed with the leg 21 at an angle considerably less than the 90 angle shown in the drawings, that is, with the top of the leg 21 farther away from the leg 24, and the channel section 20 more open. It is then a very simple matter to slip the wooden strip 16, with the upwardly projecting nails 17, into the channel section and under the overhanging outer leg 24. The extrusion 15 with the wooden strip 16 is then run-through a series of roll that bend the leg 21 upwardly to make approximately a right angle with the base 23, and the lip 22 is thus forced into the wood of the strip 16 to 4 nails are used, which are particularly adapted to penetrate concrete and hold objects such as carpet securing strips, etc., in place.

The effect of a heavy object bearing down upon the carpet 12 immediately adjacent the carpet securing means 14 is illustrated in FIGURE 4. Here an object 33, such as the heel of a shoe, is applying a downwardly directed engage the strip firmly and prevent any movement of it. The assembly may then be passed through a suitable machine, such as a shaper or milling machine, so that the adjacent edge of the wooden strip 16 is beveled, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3,- providing a smooth surface from the exterior of the leg 21 to the upper surface of the strip 16 adjacent the nails 17.

The opposite leg 24, outwardly from the strip 16, is formed at an angle to the base 23 of the channel section 20, as previously mentioned, so that this leg overhangs the base and cooperates with the inner leg 21 to clamp and secure the wooden strip 16 within the channel 20. The height of the outer leg 24 is something less than the thickness of the wooden strip 16, being approximately the same height as the inner leg 21.

Projecting outwardly and downwardly from the tip of the leg 24 is a shelf member 26 whose outer edge is prefereably provided with a tooth-like ridge 27 adapted to firmly engage if not actually penetrate the floor 10. The continuous tooth acts as a sealing member to prevent the entrances of dirt and dust beneath the carpet securing bar 14, and the tooth projects downwardly, as seen in FIGURE 2, below the plane of the bottom of the base 23 so that when the carpet securing bar is nailed into position, the resilience of the extrusion 15 forces the continuous tooth 27 firmly against the floor 10. The upper surface of the shelf 26 receives the edge of the carpet 12, and a flange 30, atached to the outermost edge of the shelf 26, is adapted to cover the edge of the carpet. As furnished for installation, the flange 30 forms a rather large angle with the shelf 26, thus permitting the edge of the carpet 12 to be tucked into the space between the flange and the shelf very easily. After the edge of the carpet 12 is so positioned, the flange 30 is then bent down upon the carpet 12, and the free edge of the flange carries a projecting lip 31 that bears against the carpet and forces it against the inner portion of the shelf 26. It will be noted in FIGURE 3 that the lip 31 is located just outwardly from the outer edge of the wooden strip 16, and with this construction, the carpet 12 is both clamped against the shelf 26 as well as clamped against the outer edge of the wooden strip 16 by the lip 31 in addition to being firmly held by the nails or pins 17.

Preferably, the carpet securing means 14 is held in position by nailingit to the floor, as indicated in FIGURE 2 and 3. On wooden floors and sub-floors, ordinary nails may be used, being driven through the strip 16 and base 23 ofthe channel section 20 with no great effort. Where the carpet 12 and padding 13 are to be laid upon a concrete or similar surface, so-called concrete force upon the carpet 12 at approximately the junction of the carpet securing means 14 and the pad 13. The pad 13, being resilient, will deform, thus lowering the surface of the carpet 12 and the adjacent edge of the carpet securing means is bevelled, as previously described, so that the carpet 12 can conform generally to the shape of the object 33, without having any sharp bends or creases formed in the carpet which would tend to wear. The advantages of this form of construction will immediately become apparent.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that there has been provided an improved carpet securing means fully capable of achieving the objects and securing the advantages heretofore set forth. While a preferred form of the invention has been disclosed, the patent is not to be limited to the particular form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown, except as limited by the following claims.

I claim:

1. Carpet securing means which includes:

a nailable strip having angularly positioned pins projecting from the upper surface thereof at an angle with respect to said surface and adapted to engage and hold a carpet placed thereon;

channel-shaped means having outer and inner legs and adapted to receive said strip, the open side of said channel being narrower than the base thereof and said strip substantially filling said channel, whereby said strip interlocks with and is clamped within said channel;

shelf means attached to said outer leg of said channelshaped means;

a clamping flange attached to the outer edge of said shelf means and adapted to clamp carpeting between it, said shelf means and the outer edge of said nailable strip;

and a lip forming the upper surface of said inner leg of said channel-shaped means, said lip being at an angle relative to the plane of said inner leg, said lip being below the uppermost surface of said nailable strip and extending into the side of said strip, the inner edge of said nailable strip being bevelled to meet and continue the surface of said lip.

2. Carpet securing means which includes:

a nailable strip having pins projecting from the upper surface thereof at an angle with respect to said surface and adapted to engage and hold a carpet placed thereon;

channel-shaped means having outer and inner legs and adapted to receive said strip, the open side of said channel being narrower than the base thereof and said strip substantially filling said channel, whereby said strip interlocks with and is clamped within said ing flange acting to prevent excessive wear of carpeting on said strip;

and a lip forming the upper surface of said inner leg of said channel-shaped means, said lip being at an angle relative to the plane of said inner leg, said lip being below the uppermost surface of said nailable strip and projecting into said strip, the inner edge of said nailable strip being bevelled to meet and continue the surface of said lip.

Carpet securing means which includes:

nailable strip having pins projecting from the upper surface thereof at an acute angle and adapted to engage and hold a carpet placed thereon;

channel shaped member having outer and inner legs and adapted to receive said strip, said channel member being open on its upper side and being adapted to receive said strip, the base of said channel being wider than its open side, with said strip substantially filling said channel and extending above the top thereof, said strip thereby being clamped in said channel;

shelf means attached to said outer leg of said channel shaped member;

clamping flange attached to the outer edge of said shelf means and adapted to clamp carpeting between it and said shelf means; and

lip located on the upper edge of said inner leg of said channel shaped member, said lip being at an angle relative to the plane of said inner leg, the uppermost portion of said lip being below the upper surface of said nailable strip and said lip extending into the side of said strip and aiding in the clamping of said strip in said channel, the adjacent portion of said strip being beveled to form a continuous angularly positioned surface relative to said upper surface of said strip extending from the exterior surface of said inner leg to the upper surface of said strip.

Carpet securing means which includes:

nailable strip having pins projecting from the upper surface thereof at an angle with respect to said surface and adapted to engage and hold a carpet placed thereon;

a channel shaped member having outer and inner legs and adapted to receive said strip, said channel member being open on its upper side and being adapted to receive said strip, the base of said channel being wider than its open side, with said strip substantially filling said channel and extending above the top thereof, said strip thereby being clamped in said channel;

shelf means attached to said outer leg of said channel shaped member, no part of said shelf being above the upper edge of said outer leg;

a clamping flange attached to the outer edge of said shelf means and extending over said shelf means toward said nailable strip, the free edge of said flange being shaped and positioned to engage and clamp between said edge and said shelf carpeting extending across said nailable strip and said shelf, the upper surface of said flange being above the upper surface of said nailable strip and acting to prevent excessive wear of carpeting on said strip; and

a lip located on the upper edge of said inner leg of said channel shaped member, said lip being at an angle relative to the plane of said inner leg, the uppermost portion of said lip being below the upper surface of said nailable strip and said lip extending into the side of said strip and aiding in the clamping of said strip in said channel, the adjacent portion of said strip being beveled to form a continuous angularly positioned surface relative to said upper surface of said strip extending from the exterior surface of said inner leg to the upper surface of said strip.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS DONLEY J. STOCKING, Primary Examiner. 

1. CARPET SECURING MEANS WHICH INCLUDES: A NAILABLE STRIP HAVING ANGULAR POSITIONED PINS PROJECTING FROM THE UPPER SURFACE THEREOF AT AN ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID SURFACE AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND HOLD A CARPET PLACED THEREON; CHANNEL-SHAPED MEANS HAVING OUTER AND INNER LEGS AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID STRIP, THE OPEN SIDE OF SAID CHANNEL BEING NARROWER THAN THE BASE THEREOF AND SAID STRIP SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING SAID CHANNEL, WHEREBY SAID STRIP INTERLOCKS WITH AND IS CLAMPED WITHIN SAID CHANNELS; SHELF MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID OUTER LEG OF SAID CHANNELSHAPED MEANS; A CLAMPING FLANGE ATTACHED TO THE OUTER EDGE OF SAID SHELF MEANS AND ADAPTED TO CLAMP CARPETING BETWEEN IT, SAID SHELF MEANS AND THE OUTER EDGE OF SAID NAILABLE STRIP; AND A LIP FORMING THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID INNER LEG OF SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED MEANS, SAID LIP BEING AT AN ANGLE RELATIVE TO THE PLANE OF SAID INNER LEG, SAID LIP BEING BELOW THE UPPERMOST SURFACE OF SAID NAILABLE STRIP AND EXTENDING INTO THE SIDE OF SAID STRIP, THE INNER EDGE OF SAID NAILABLE STRIP BEING BEVELLED TO MEET AND CONTINUE THE SURFACE OF SAID LIP. 